British Army Pay Rates 1914

"In late 1914 and early ’15 there was this patriotic fervour which was designed to induce young men to enlist and join the army and go to France and fight the Germans. At that time, there was organised recruitment and on the fronts of public buildings – town halls and so on – there were replicas of thermometers, graduated, showing the number of men enlisting in the various battalions and formations. And there was competition amongst these to see who could push up the highest total in the given time. And I well recall on the Manchester Town Hall, for instance, these thermometers for recruitment in the pals, Manchester Pals battalions. And there were thousands and thousands of young men who joined up in that way." Tom Bromley on IWM

Posters, films and public appeals urged the men of Britain to do their patriotic duty:

IWM PST 0311, PST 2734, PST 0961

Minimum daily rates of pay for typical ranks or appointments of all arms. All rates in Shillings (s) and Pence (d):

Officers

Cavalry of the Line, Irish Horse, King Edward’s Horse and Yeomanry

Lieutenant-Colonel

29s 6d

Major

17s 0d

Captain

13s 6d

Lieutenant

9s 6d

Second Lieutenant

8s 6d

Quartermaster

11s 6d

Royal Horse Artillery

Lieutenant-Colonel

29s 9d

Major

18s 6d

Captain

15s 0d

Lieutenant

10s 6d

Second Lieutenant

9s 6d

Quartermaster

11s 6d

Royal Field Artillery and Mountain Artillery

Lieutenant-Colonel

28s 0d

Major

16s 0d

Captain

13s 6d

Lieutenant

9s 6d

Second Lieutenant

8s 6d

Quartermaster

10s 6d

Royal Garrison Artillery
plus Armament Pay

Lieutenant-Colonel

24s 6d

5s 0d

Major

16s 0d

3s 6d

Captain

13s 6d

2s 0d

Lieutenant

9s 6d

1s 0d

Second Lieutenant

8s 6d

*1s 0d

Quartermaster

10s 6d

0s 0d

* payable only if certified by Commanding Officer with regard to the Second Lieutenant’s technical efficiency

Royal Engineers plus Engineer pay

plus Engineer Pay

Lieutenant-Colonel

21s 0d

14s 0d

Major

16s 0d

9s 0d

Captain

13s 6d

4s 0d

Lieutenant

9s 6d

3s 0d

Second Lieutenant

8s 6d

*1s 0d

Quartermaster

10s 6d

2s 0d

* plus a further 1s 6d payable only if certified by Commanding Officer with regard to the Second Lieutenant’s technical efficiency

in addition to these rates, Engineer Pay is issuable dependent on qualification, from 2d to 4s 0d per day

Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)

Sergeant-Major

9s 0d

Flight Sergeant

7s 0d

Sergeant

6s 0d

Corporal

5s 0d

Air Mechanic 1st Class

4s 0d

Air Mechanic 2nd Class

2s 0d

in addition to these rates, flying pay is issuable to a qualified first-class pilot at 4s 0d per day and to a qualified second-class pilot at 2s 0d per day

Infantry Foot Guards/Infantry of the Line

Sergeant-Major

5s 2d

5s 0d

Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 2d

4s 0d

Company Sergeant-Major

4s 2d

4s 0d

Company Quartermaster-Sergeant

3s 8d

3s 6d

Colour-Sergeant

3s 8d

3s 6d

Sergeant

2s 6d

2s 4d

Corporal

1s 9d

1s 8d

Private

1s 1d

1s 0d

additional proficiency pay is payable if the soldier fulfils certain conditions as to service and qualification: rates 3d or 6d per day, according to proficiency.

Military Police Mounted/Foot

Sergeant-Major

5s 10d

5s 6d

Quartermaster-Sergeant

5s 0d

–

Squadron Sergeant-Major

5s 0d

–

Squadron Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 6d

–

Colour-Sergeant

–

4s 0d

Sergeant

3s 10d

3s 4d

Corporal

3s 0d

2s 4d

Private

2s 2d

1s 9d

Army Service Corps

Sergeant-Major

5s 6d

Company Sergeant-Major or Staff Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 3d

Company Sergeant-Major (Mechanical Transport)

4s 11d

Company Quartermaster-Sergeant (Mechanical Transport)

4s 5d

Staff Sergeant

4s 0d

Sergeant

2s 7d

Sergeant (Mechanical Transport)

3s 3d

Corporal

2s 0d

Corporal (Mechanical Transport)

2s 6d

Second Corporal

1s 9d

Second Corporal (Mechanical Transport)

2s 2d

Driver or Private

1s 2d

additional proficiency pay is payable if the soldier fulfils certain conditions as to service and qualification: rates 3d to 1s 8d per day, according to proficiency.

Royal Army Medical Corps

Sergeant-Major

5s 6d

Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 6d

Staff-Sergeant

4s 3d

Sergeant

2s 8d

Corporal

2s 1d

Private

1s 2d

additional proficiency pay is payable if the soldier fulfils certain conditions as to service and qualification: rates 4d to 1s 2d per day, according to proficiency

Army Veterinary Corps

Sergeant-Major

5s 4d

Staff-Sergeant

4s 4d

Sergeant

2s 8d

Corporal

2s 0d

Private

1s 2d

additional proficiency pay is payable if the soldier fulfils certain conditions as to service and qualification: rates 4d to 1s 0d per day, according to proficiency

Army Ordnance Corps

Armament or Armourer-Sergeant-Major

7s 0d

Sergeant-Major

5s 6d

Armament or Armourer-Quartermaster-Sergeant

6s 0d

Staff-Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 3d

Armourer-Staff-Sergeant (at depot)

2s 6d

Armourer-Staff-Sergeant (not at depot)

4s 6d

Armament-Staff-Sergeant

4s 6d

Staff-Sergeant

4s 0d

Sergeant

2s 7d

Corporal

2s 0d

Private

1s 2d

additional proficiency pay is payable if the soldier fulfils certain conditions as to service and qualification: rates 3d to 1s 2d per day, according to proficiency

Army Pay Corps

Staff-Sergeant-Major

5s 6d

Staff-Quartermaster-Sergeant

4s 6d

Staff-Sergeant

4s 0d

Sergeant

3s 0d

Corporal

2s 0d

Private

1s 8d

This schedule of rates was later revised (13 December 1915)

British army war pay, 1917

The introduction of War Pay

Army Order 1 (1918) stated that of 29 September 1917 and for the remaining period of the war, the sum of one penny per day War Pay would be paid in respect of each complete year of the man’s service with the colours that had been rendered since the commencement of the war.

This was in addition to the man’s normal service pay.

By definition periods in reserve service did not count.

Any period of penal servitude or of imprisonment or detention of more than 28 days, and any period of continuous absence without leave exceeding 28 days, would not count towards the colour service accumulated.

War Pay did not apply to the men of the Non-Combatant Corps.

War Pay was not payable in arrears (that is, it began from 29 September 1917 and no pay was to be paid for prior periods).